New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-13


able 10 throw any light upon the matter.
. Colonel IIumby had come home that afternoon
very much the worse for drink. Ills VIE WIS
sitting in the veranda-fOr the first time aitcr
Ter iincss-whcn She heard him staggering through
the rooms within. She had just given some
silver bangles ornaments so dear to the natiVesJ
to an interesting child of six belonging TO
tho la warchi (or cook and the man was standing
a fe,v ,occs of with folded hands regarding
thc child with eyes bcaming pleasure ana CRATE
fulncss. The natives are passomltcly iohu Vi
,Lcir children, and the least indulgence to their
little ones wins their affections. In tins way the
.oIitorv wife had made herself attached friends
q omonc her dusl>v mcnials-thc only friends she
had Suddenly the native started ncrNously on
hearing the "Sahb" in the bungalow and with
ouick but respectful salaam to his MISTRESS
suotcbcd M his little girl and hurried away to
his cookhousc. Tie Colonel. however had seen
him leave the vcranda with the child, and the
incident was enough for his ill temper
"Is there any tiflin rcady?' he demanded,
rolling mn TO where his wife sat. What has that
fellow been doing here with his black spawn"
81 WIS giving the child some bangles was
the answer. i had promised them bciore-l fell
ILL.," ,o,,
"Eonccs> Irt me catch the brat and it snail
got something clscl Dye hear me- madam?
| I'm have no more phiandcring with these nlSSerS
the fellow would cut your throat as soon rs
thank you-and serve you right!'
Colonel IIumhy emphasized what he said ny
shaking his clcnchcd fist in his wics race Shc
merely turned her head another way. lie looked
/ in a more than usually savage mood; and she
brcathcd mere freely when. after baf n minute 5
uausc he walked away from where she SAT She
! hopod he would 20 in and throw himself on
couch to sleep the fit off. But he was IN
tcmtcr for mischief. and instead Of doing so he
staggered over the compound TO the cookhouse
Mrs UumLv held her breath There was cry
Of pain from the poor cook, followed by scream
from the child. and Colonel llumby Immediately
M reared at the door of the coothouSc actually
dragging the little girl after him by the mar.
| At fine door he swung her round in front ana
| hung the little body from him with Kick IKE
a football. Before picking the child from ine
ground the cook stood moment regarding MS
master with Look which. drunk rs he was,
| might have done much 10 sober Colonc' ilumby
had he seen it, But he was on his way back to
the house: and by the time tlin WAS l'id for
! him was lying on his back asleep.
Colonel IIumby rose about half past :, had
some dinner by himself, and aitcrward sat in
the vcran1a smoking and drinking brandy ana
wafer for an hour Mrs. IIumby was lying on
her bed. dressed. ut about o'clock, when
she heard her husband 20 into his o"n room
and close the door. At this point the mystery
Of the event lcean. The cooll-h> name was
Sin,a-liv,d in the native bazaar. some distance
across the station. and after removing the dinner
and performing III" remaining duties OF the Day
hc shut his cooihousc aud went home To see altr
/ his child. lie id not return again uniil ait'r
the place had been burned. that hc Was able to
throw no light ca the origin of the IRE.
The kdnatear dcpoScd 10 paraAnc lam's hcihS
hurnine i'm the drawinc-room. the dining-room
and i'm the bedrooms of Mrs. llumIN ana her nus
band This wa, the usual practice and except
tho dinine-room lamp-which was cNtinguishcl al
/ IO-thcv were lett burning all night. The lamp
i'm Colonel IlumlN'~ room WAS placed on
| table a distance of several feet from III" h'" 'h
thc theory that pee had accidentally overturned the
lomn and Tim, originated the tire. how was ms
po.ifion on the bcd-thc position i'm winch ms
/ rL,rrd remains were di>coycrcd-to be- accounted
/ forp Only bv assuming that after oVcrturnlng
the lamp and ting the fire ag".ng ne WAS
too ,tupoficd with brandy 10 bee conscious 81 the
accident or ~ Lc aroused To c"n>r"ueh'~N hN Inc
fierce flare wh ch must iafr linm'hi""N ch\'l"I""
him Was this possible? nid III" unfortunate
man. after up-,ttiug tic lamp. storecr 10 his bed
and lie Their. inert 10 Ice roasted ! p"n one
roiut tho khidwntg1r WIS pos i've '"i"h' mummy
never smoked in lis bedroom. II" smoked Hlt''
a, a rule. hut never in his bedroom TIE lo'rih'hty
- the fire originating in tins way WIS '"i''-
qucutly ont Of tie question.
Mrs Iluml,y ~ has been said, was Wing ON her
bed dressed some time hctwccri . and 10 o'clock
| she drop. cd asleep. She heard 10 sound from
The direction OF her husbands apartment after
/ hc closed M" door Bat she had not been long
ASLEEP when she was startled into "al>"inl-
ne, rs a rough hand gra~png Ter throat ana
choking her, With the strength of desperation
she uttered Shrek If terror and then thc fingers
relaxed their hold; the man pushed from th" room
and volume of smoke poured IN through
the door rs he did so.
The >frauco.t part Of IN" story was her doclara-
tion-rclucautly wrung from her by pressure of
rpoatod quest ioniu.-that her assailHnt was her
husband! Whom awakened 10y the hand upon
her throat. the lamp in her room WAS cNin-
cui~hcd: but wien te turned outside IL" door
the Glare Of the fire fell upon him. dressed IN ms
over, daN suit Of scotch tweed. and wearing hrs
helmet with the green and yellow pucear"c which
Was Invariably around il. Mrs Handy sprang
from the led and fled for Ter life 10 the bungalow
Of Colonel Jack, where She fell iainting III the
7 Vcrauda.
II va, not Tor three four DAYS that Mrs.
Uuuby could Ice induced Ia speak on the occur
renee, If tie dreadful night; and il was only by
ror nae Gus pcrs ~t.ucc that Colonel Iao, obtained
from her the FOREGOING statement OF what -he
remembered. She was not in the least mentally
affected hy the shock. a. tie ladies had supposed
her 10 hc: She IS olc like one haNin" Il clear ana
reliable memory when She did speak. I;ut the
simtlc and unaffected tcnacity with winch, when
over and over again questioned IN every variety
Of way she held To the accuracy of that cNtraor-
dinaiy statement was literally staggering.
OF course there no other topic Of converse
ton in .Julahad now. Not II man of rs doubted
the entire and chlldlilc truthiulncss Of Mrs.
Uumhy But accepting her statement We were
confronted with what looked TO he an unfathom-
nIlc mystery No one denied that Colonel lumby
WAS capable II numbering his unhappy wife: that
his murlcrous fingers were fastened ON her throat
wa. i'm itself possible enough. assuming the man
.o iu,oxictcd nS 10 be reckless of his own safety.
lie had not completed the attempted murder
and the bungalow was on fire at the time II"
ATTEMPTED IT, Was il his hcndish intention FIRST
to stranglc her and then consume the traces of his
guilt in the fire? Many thought this suggestion
the most plausible ono. Knowing llumby rs all
l,rc,v him il would be- quite consistent with his
character. Cruelty not killing her rapidly enough,
"A scheme like this would be the very one to
do il for him. Charrcd remains would show
no finger marks the throat. would defy
fine trrrors of n post norton examination But